Shooting the fiddler on the roof
Whether the “invisible hand” that caused technical problems and kept the Mavi Marmara docked on the Golden Horn belongs to a body in Ankara or in Pennsylvania, it must be shaken with heartfelt praise. Not to have another Turkish cruise to the shores of Gaza was the right decision for the organizers of last year’s Freedom Flotilla…
The longer-term risk to peaceful relations between Turkey and Israel is not about whether the Mavi Marmara sets sail for Gaza or remains anchored in Turkish waters. The risk is not about whether Israel should apologize or instead reiterate regret for last year’s deadly attack on the Mavi Marmara. It is not about low chairs or reparations for the Turkish victims either. The risk is about the systematic injection of Islamist sentiments about Israel into the minds of younger, ordinary Turks, especially in the past two and a half years.